Women’s Wear Daily had kinder words, writing that the designers “are following in the footsteps ofVictoria Beckham and [Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen] of The Row, fashion’s most successful celebrity crossovers above the mass level.” The Los Angeles Times referenced the clothes’ “relaxed L.A. sensibility,” and added, “There’s no reason to think that the line won’t continue to gain momentum.”Vogue U.K. had the kindest words, writing that the looks “packed a lot of punch,” had “smart details,” were “well edited [and] jovial” and that Holmes & Yang seem to be making “attire that is desirable and covetable.”

Holmes arrived at the tents early, decked out in black slacks, a white blouse, leather jacket, colorful pumps and gold jewels. The designer — who created the line with her stylist, Jeanne Yang — made a couple of adjustments to the models during the presentation, and chatted with a few people in the crowd (which included Smash starKatharine McPhee).

The actress recently told WWD that she and Yang wanted to present their line at Fashion Week “because the brand is growing and expanding … we thought we would have something a little more substantial.”

Showing their clothes Wednesday as a presentation (where models stand still and guests walk around them) as opposed to a standard runway show, Holmes said the method “was more appropriate for the clothes we sell … more of a transition for us from meeting privately with buyers in a hotel room to going right to a big show.”

Regardless of the critics’ opinions, Holmes can take solace in the fact that she felt confident in her designs — and isn’t afraid to fail.

“Who cares?” she told WWD when asked about taking such leaps of faith. “At least you tried. It’s usually the people who haven’t tried who are the naysayers.” Tell us: From these shots, what do you think of the Holmes & Yang collection?